This fall the Coborn’s Support Center moved to a brand new building. The building, my workspace and the entire campus are absolutely beautiful and it creates a wonderful atmosphere to work at, but unfortunately I have to drive a little farther for my daily commute. With busy mornings where you are trying to get up and go quickly, I needed something that makes planning out lunches a little bit easier.

I suppose the easiest lunchtime solution is to go out to eat, which I’ll admit is nice occasionally, but it can be pricey to do everyday and not always healthy for you. That’s why I’ve collected some delicious recipes to share with you all that I promise will spruce up any boring lunch routine!

Food Prep Freshness

Glass mason jars help to keep the salads very fresh, and by using wide mouth jars I have created delicious salads that are perfect for anyone on the go or looking for a healthy and fun way to get their greens in- no salad bowl necessary. My mason jars were even chalkboard jars I picked up from a craft store for added lunchtime creativity!

Everything on my Facebook homepage lately seems to feature food recipes, clean eating blogs and meal prepping ideas. What better way to follow suit than to make my complete week of salads on Sunday evening and have them ready to go for the entire week.

I love the taste, freshness and most of all the convenience of these Mason Jar Salads. Best of all you can make so many different varieties, which means lunchtime doesn’t need to be boring, it can be as original as each day of the week!

Check out some of the recipes for these Mason Jar Salads below:

Dietitian’s Choice Salad

Dietitian’s Choice Salad

Ingredients

2 T. Kraft Balsamic Vinaigrette

4-6 Baby Carrots, chopped

1/4 Cup Peas

1/4 Cup Peppers, chopped

1/4 Cup Garbonzo Beans

1/4 Cup Reduced Fat Feta Cheese

1/2 Cup Tomato, chopped

2 Cups Spring Mix Salad Greens with Kale

Instructions

Wash Jar.

In the same order that is listed above add your ingredients to a wide mouthed mason jar.

Shake jar when ready to be eaten and refrigerate if you are saving it for a later date.

Notes

[b]Dietitian’s Notes:[/b][br]-This salad is great because the wide variety of vegetables are full of fiber, vitamins and minerals. [br]-Add dried cranberries to your salad to represent as many food groups as possible, but make sure no sugar is added![br]-Make sure you always have beans or some sort of protein added to your meals, and if a salad is your full meal make extra sure they are added![br]-Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar add a great flavor and provide healthy fats.[br]-Aside from the Feta Cheese (19) and the Balsamic Vinegar (18) all of these ingredients have a 100 on the NuVal Scoring System!

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BLT Avocado Salad

BLT Avocado Salad

Ingredients

2 T. Kraft Bleu Cheese

1/2 Cup Tomatoes, chopped

1 Avocado, chopped

6 Bacon Slices, cooked and chopped

2 Cups Lettuce or Spinach Mix

Instructions

Wash Mason Jar.

Add ingredients in the order listed above.

Keep refrigerated until ready to eat.

Shake jar, add chips and enjoy!

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Greek Salad

Greek Salad

Ingredients

2 T. Kraft Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing

1/2 Cup Cucumber, chopped

1/2 Cup Tomatoes, chopped

2 T. Red Onion

4 Oz. Skinless Chicken Breast, cooked and chopped

2 T. Reduced Fat Crumbled Feta Cheese

1 T. Black Olives, chopped

2 Cups Romaine Lettuce, chopped

Instructions

Wash Mason Jar.

Layer jar with dressing, cucumbers, tomatoes and onions.

Add in chicken, feta cheese and olives.

Top with lettuce.

Refrigerate until ready to eat.

When ready to eat shake jar.

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Mom’s Salad

Mom’s Salad

Ingredients

2 T. Kraft Bleu Cheese Dressing

4-6 Baby Carrots, chopped

1/4 Cup Cauliflower, chopped

2 Oz. Bacon Real Bites

2 Cups Romaine Lettuce

Instructions

Wash Mason Jar.

Add ingredients in the order as listed above.

When ready to eat shake jar and enjoy.

Be sure to refrigerate if salad is going to be eaten at a later date.

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Taco Salad

Taco Salad

Ingredients

2 T. Kraft Classic Catalina Dressing

1 T. Salsa

2 T. Sour Cream

1/4 Cup Taco Meat

1/2 Cup Tomatoes, chopped

1/4 Cup Kidney Beans

1/8 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/2 Cup Tortilla Chips, crushed

2 Lettuce, shredded

Instructions

Wash Jar.

Add ingredients in same order as listed above.

Refrigerate until ready to eat.

When ready to eat shake jar.

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Strawberry Poppyseed Salad

Strawberry Poppyseed Salad

Ingredients

2 T. Kraft Creamy Poppyseed Dressing

1/2 Cup Strawberries, sliced

1/4 Cup Blueberries

1/4 Cup Almonds

2 Cups Romaine and Spinach to Brim of Jar

Instructions

Wash Jar.

Wash produce.

Add ingredients in order to above and keep refrigerated.

When ready to eat shake jar and enjoy.

Notes

Additional optional topping:[br]Mandrain Oranges

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Tips & Tricks

The number one most important rule to remember when making these salads is to always keep the dressing at the bottom and the salad greens at the top of the jar. Keep the two layers as far away from one another as possible by having them separated with your hard veggies, protein and soft veggies. If you do that, your greens will stay crispy and fresh with no problems.

Try to keep the ratio of each jar about half-and-half. That means half of the jar holds the toppings, dressing, grains, proteins and half of the jar holds the greens.

As I mentioned I like to make several of these jars on Sunday evening so I’m prepared for speedy grab and go lunches later on in the week. Luckily these salads last a week in the refrigerator!

Because these jars are so full to the brim you might have to eat off a layer or two of greens (yum!), then replace the lid, shake the heck out of it to distribute the dressing, and then dig right in with a fork.